A MOMENT TO THINK

google images - milcreek mall

The other day I sat in the food court of MY mall waiting for my movie time. The televisions were on with closed captioning. On the television in my vicinity, the family of a missing college student was making a desperate plea for the return of their daughter. The images shown in the background included people searching a wooded area. 

I watched people around me, generally groups of two or just single people. I was looking for two missing local girls, but didn't see them.

Then the next story came up. A 19 year old US citizen was arrested on his way out of the country under the suspicion that he was on his way to join terrorists in another country. In the news crawl at the bottom of the screen, a Spanish nurse has been diagnosed with Ebola, taking the virus into Spain. This was on one television. The remaining televisions were on sports channels. 

I watched those around me, collecting their meals and sitting nearby. Phones and food consumed their time. Eyes were rarely brought up, except for the friendly teen who was at the table right next to mine, he was listening to music through his headphones, which explained his smile and friendly nodding head. 

I wondered to myself how I could be sitting in a public place, without concern for myself (other than fear of my nemesis, which poses no threat to anyone other than me) when there is so much trauma taking place around the world. I am not starving, bombs do not fall randomly from the sky, police do not threaten to take me from my family, no one gets so close physically that they could cause trauma, I have not been exposed to a life ending virus, yet there are places where these concerns are constants. 

I am free to watch any movie I choose or I could leave freely if I choose. I have a reliable vehicle, I have a solid home to return to, I have family I love and can contact in an instant. How blessed I am to live within the United States and in an area where crime can be considered minimal. And how disturbing that we are discontent when our nation's leaders attempt to interfere in other areas of the world where people are concerned that they will not return to their loved ones at the end of the day.

It was just a few moments of reflection while sitting amongst all the food available in the food court at MY mall...